158 



DISEASES OF THE BONES AND ARTICULATIONS. 



PECULIARITY OF SPLINT LAMENESS. 



The lameness may precede the ap- 

 pearance of any swelling or deposit, and 

 in such a case it is apt to be confounded 

 with that arising from other diseases. 

 But if the following observations are 

 kept in remembrance, no mistake need 

 be made : — 



1st. The age of the animal. The 

 young horse is most liable to splint 

 lameness, the older horse to navi- 

 cular disease. 



2d. The peculiarity of action. A 

 horse lame from splint will walk ap- 

 parently or nearly sound, but will 

 trot very lame, the droj? of the head 

 and body upon the sound side being 

 very great, and out of all proportion 

 to the apparent soimdness of the walk. 



Sd. A want of flexion may be ob- 

 served at the knee. 



4:th. When the patient first comes 



fore leg involving the large ^ - ^^^ -g ^^^^ ^^ ^^^^ j^^ j^^^y gO 

 and small metacarpals. In the ' . 



original specimen the inter- moderately sound, but after a time 

 osseous ligament is not ossified. ^^^ lameness increases, the concussion 



being a cause of pain. In navicular disease the lameness 

 generally decreases with exercise. 



5th. Pressure upon the part of the leg where splint is likely 

 to be will cause pain ; some heat is present ; and, by a careful 

 manipulation, a hard swelling perhaps smaller than a pea may be 

 felt. In some cases the exostoses soon develop themselves, and 

 then there can be no further difficulty ; but in others, this does not 

 occur for several weeks, and these are most unsatisfactory to the 

 surgeon. In some rare cases the lameness is very excessive, 

 the horse being scarcely able to put any weight upon the 

 affected limb ; standing with the toe only touching the ground, 

 with great heat and swelling of the part affected, at the same 

 time suffering from constitutional disturbance to a considerable 

 degree. In such a case, the treatment must be prompt, to 



Fig. 23. — Ordinary form of 

 splint on the inner side of near 



